This section is for discussions with other women who have probably been through the same signs/symptoms that you may be experiencing. Please note, we cannot offer medical advice and encourage members to discuss their concerns with their doctors. New members, come on in and introduce yourself!

Do you have to have high blood pressure in order to have HELLP, or can you have it without hbp? When I had HELLP, my body showed no indications of pre-e ahead of time. Is that pretty normal, or do people usually get pre-e first?

Our first son was born and passed in Feb of 2010. Born at 29 weeks due to HELLP and passed due to NEC. We miss him every day. :~(

Our second son was born at 39 weeks gestation in Nov of 2011. No HELLP or pre-e! Took LDA starting at week 12 and went off of it at week 38!

I am sorry for the loss of your first baby. I had pre-e signs before developing HELLP. But I have read about cases where it doesn't happen that way. Some theories classify HELLP and pre-e as separate diseases, not necessarily with HELLP as a more severe form of pre-e.

Mom to one amazing toddler girl, delivered at 28 weeks due to severe HELLP.

HELLP does not require high blood pressure, although I think it must be happening in the smaller vessels or we wouldn't see the hemolysis. (Hemolysis is when the red blood cells are being ripped apart as they're pushed through the smaller vessels by the force of each pump of the heart; it happens when those smaller vessels are very constricted, which is something that happens with hypertension. Maybe the hypertension just hasn't made it to the larger vessels yet...)

They're classed as "hypertensive pregnancy diseases" right now but there's talk of changing the formal terminology to "placental diseases" - hypertension's just a symptom, and it doesn't have to show up.

Caryn, @carynjrogers, who is not a doctor and who talks about science stuff *way* too much DS Oscar born by emergent C-section at 34 weeks for fetal indicators, due to severe PEDD Bridget born by C-section after water broke at 39 weeks after a healthy pregnancy